Hi Moms, I took my daughter in to the pediatrician last week because she was running a fever for 3 days and didn't seem to be getting better. Turns out she had a viral infection that needed to run its course, but while I was there the pediatrician said that there was so much earwax in her one ear canal that he couldn't see very clearly whether her ear was clear of infection or not.
He recommended using a baking soda rinse, but he didn't really tell how to do it. How much baking soda to water do I use? Do I use warm water? How long do I leave it in her ear? He told me that I'd have to do it everyday.
Anybody else have any experience with this? I'd like to know what you've done and how it worked. Any advice?
THanks so much for all the advice. My daughter is 2 years old, so I don't want to try anything too strong. I've decided to call and ask the doctor how to go about using the baking soda rinse. Thanks again!
My daughter has always had a problem with earwax. I always used the earwax removal you buy at the store, it's safe even for kids. It comes with a bulb syringe and instructions. Unfortunaly, some people have this all their lives. My daughter still does and she's 30. Good luck.
I have never heard that before. I am partly deaf due to a double ear infection at age 16. I would never put anything but alcohol in my ear and I only do that after a bath or washing my hair and only a few drops. My husband has excessive ear wax and he was told to only have his ears cleaned by a doctor so he goes to the ENT to do it.
Both of my sons have had occassional wax build-up, mostly my currently ten-year-old. We've used mineral oils and other over-the-counter wax softening agents, but have found hydrogen peroxide to work best. Cam is ten now, so he gets out a towl, the ear bell syringe and the peroxide when I tell him it's time to clean his ears. A little pen light is useful to see what's going on in there.
To loosen up the buildup, tilt your child's head to the side as if sleeping on a pillow. My son is older and can sit on the toilet and lay his head on the towel on the bathroom cabinet, but when he was little, I sat on the floor and he laid his head on a big towel rolled up like a pillow. Drip peroxide into the ear canal and wait a minute. Then rotate to the other ear after your little one tips her head to let the first ear drain. The residue will fizz a little while you work on the other. Now that my son has more patience, I do this until the fizzing is very slow.
Peak into the canal with a flashlight occassionally, and don't be surprised with what you see -- the peroxide will make debris soft, large and white.
I do this about two times each, then I fill a clean sink with warm water that will not be shocking to the inside of a warm child's ear. It is a good idea to do this part after your little one is in the tub - the splashing/draining ear water can drain onto the tub. (Better yet, fill a large bowl with the warm water, and let your daughter lean over the closed bathroom sink so you can see what washes out.) My son lets it drain into a big fluffy towel.
Just use the bulb syringe and flush out any loose debris, alternating ears. Be gentle, don't be a water jet! Too fast and it hurts. Let your daughter be your guide.
Once I found the tip to a colored pencil that he couldn't remember using at school for a tickle! Oh, my! Kids!!
~~V. L.
most pharmacies carry an earwax buildup remover kit. it works really great & everything you need is there & already measured. good luck.
Hi!!! I would like to know what to do in this case because my son has the same problem...........I am from Mexico.........Thanks!!!!!!!!!
It will disolove better in warm water. Use an eye dropper and just a couple of drops in her ears should help. It will drain out on its own and have her tip her head for about a minute then let it drain it.
My husband has seen an ENT specialist since he was a little boy. They told him he to put a couple of drops of baby oil in the ear twice a day for a few days.
I would just call the office and explain that the dr. told you to do a baking soda rinse but didn't give you the "recipe"/directions. I am sure they will give it to you or have the doctor call you back.
No biggie. It's better to ask a question than to sit around and wonder about it... As teachers are fond of saying "the only stupid question is the one you never asked"
I would just use warm olive or garlic oil. The garlic is stinkier, but it has natural antibiotic properties :) A few drops each day will keep both wax and infection at bay.
My pediatrician told me to use hydrogen peroxide in my son's ears (he is 9 months old). We just started this a few weeks ago.
I don't know anything about the baking soda, but I wouldn't think that would dissolve into water very well. I would think it would become more of a paste or rather sandy.
There are products available at the pharmacy that can be squirted or dropped into the ear canal to loosen ear wax, so that it just drains out. I just shopped for that product and found about 5 products to choose from. In my pharmacy it was located near ear plugs and swimmer's ear products.
For ear infections:
You might consider putting a few drops of rubbing alcohol into the ear canal to dry up excess moisture in the. Then put a cotton swab in the ear. If you put a drop or two of Rose Oil into the ear canal, this will help lessen the pain with ear infections.
waterpiks.sweet oil you can pick up at walmart in the pharmacy area.one drop leave in for a while like 15 min
then take a bulb ear cleaner like the one the hospital gave you when she came home from the hospital and clean out the ear.ear wax is something easily managed.please no q tips too far in the ear.surface cleaning of the ear canal with qtips.K.
My son also has lots of earwax. We use the new Murine Irigate ear wash. They make one for adults and one for children. I had to ask the pharmacist to order the one for children, the stores don't seem to carry it. His doctor said he could use the adult one (he is 12), so I switched to that. We have also used Debrox ear drops to loosen ear wax (2 or 3 drops for children). You didn't say your daughter's age, but Nick started using the drops when he was about 6 or 7. He prefers the murine ear wash. We need to keep after the earwax more in the winter - if we don't he gets ear infections and they have to clean lots of wax out too. It is very unpleasant for him. We try to do the ear wash a couple of times a week.
I do not know about baking soda but they do sell stuff at the pharmacy to clean ears out. What I use is called Debrox.
We did have to use it everyday for about 2 weeks to make sure my sons ears where clean and then we just went to once a week. As he gets older we have to do it less.
I personally have this problem and I use Debrox you can buy it at any drugstore you put 5 drops into you ear and soak it in with a cotton ball and the product does bubble up and it will loosen up the wax.
thanks,
P. M
I would mix about a teaspoon or so of baking soda in a cup of warm water and using a bulb syringe (like the one you use to suction out the nose) and very gently rinse the ears with the baking sode solution do this several times until the solution os gone and then rinse with more warm water. Do this a few times a week until the ears are cleared of earwax.
Call and ask for instructions. Being from a family where hearing loss is rampant (thankfully I took after the other side), ears are nothing to mess with.
I had great results with using an ear candle. You can buy them at any health food store. It is a natural and very efficient way of clearing out the wax.
Good luck
